Hell And Back; Take 2

marathon Originally uploaded by bgilmor.

When I haven't been busy being lazy so far this summer - which, admittedly, takes up the majority of my time - I have been trying to get my butt in gear to get ready for the Chicago Marathon again, which this year is on Sunday, October 9. And after four months of doing curls with pint glasses in Ireland, training has gone surprisingly well, so far. I just wish St. Louis wasn't so wretchedly hot in the summer. Oh well, paying the price with the heat now makes the Chicago weather in September and October seem oh-so-perfect.

I've Found Paradise

Radio Paradise, that is. Tired of Clear Channel's iron-fisted dictatorship over the FM dial? Give Paradise, CA's own Radio Paradise a shot. From their website:

"Each hour of music is carefully blended together to flow smoothly between different musical styles & genres - just like real DJs used to do on FM. We don't use the computer-generated playlists or "carefully researched music libraries" that have sucked the soul out of FM radio - and we never just throw songs together at random the way many web stations do."

You'll hear an eclectic mix of songs you've never heard before, familiar songs that sound like you're hearing them for the first time because of the way the playlist flows, and true classics. http://www.radioparadise.com/

Gallery: Paris, France

la grande arch Originally uploaded by bgilmor.

Finally, the last gallery of my European adventure. Paris grew on me over the course of three days, and I began to appreciate its lore as a wonderful place...to visit. I don't possess anywhere close to enough fashion sense to stay there for any prolonged amount of time.

For the first two days, I went around with John, David, and Walter, who I had arranged to meet there. It was definitely a different dynamic than being on my own, but I'm glad I had the chance to spend a couple days with them.

After they left, I spent my final day wandering around the city with only a map and Metro pass before ending up at the Eiffel Tower (to the locals, Tour Eiffel) to close out the night.

Highlights: Tour Eiffel, Picasso museum, drinking wine along the banks of the Seine late at night, walking down the Champs-Elysées, using my Chinese to order sushi for four.

Photo Of The Day: Tour Eiffel

Gallery: Munich, Germany

My Munich photo gallery has been completed. I had expected to experience an acute case of PAL (post-Alps letdown), but once again, my expectations were shattered. Things just never seem to work out how you think they will. One more gallery to go (Paris), and then I'll be getting back into some entries with a bit more linguistic appeal.

Gallery: Bruges, Belgium

My Bruges photo gallery is up and ready to go. This little place in western Belgium is one of the most interesting places I have seen in my life - just because there is really nothing I have seen to compare it to. Living over here in the States can really limit your perspective if you aren't careful, and it's sad to think that a vast majority of the people in this country don't even realize something like this exists and consider the Gulf coast an exotic getaway.

Photo Of The Day: Nighttime Canals of Bruges, Belgium

Gallery: Rome, Italy

Piazza San Pietro; Roma Originally uploaded by bgilmor.

Rome. Not only the start of Western civilization, but the start of my European trip. Thanks to me randomly meeting Thuet in the London airport, I ended up spending much of my time there with friends from Loyola. I really enjoyed the city, minus the massive tour groups that seemed to take over most of the attractions. Here's a bunch of pictures for you to check out.

Rockin' The Suburbs

My journey has officially gone full circle; I'm now back in Middle America Suburbia. Even though entries from Glendale might not be as interesting as ones from random internet cafes across Europe, I'm currently trying to figure out how to transition my blog. Until then, though, I plan on doing a little post-game blog show about my travels, so bear with me for a bit on that. First off, my Switzerland SkyDive picture gallery has been completed. The files are large, but if you've got a quick connection and a little time on your hands, knock yourself out. And for a slightly calmer take on the beauty of Switzerland and the Alps, check out Interlaken and Surrounding Areas. Any way you cut it, though, this place was tantalizingly close to paradise.

Sad But True

Here's a joke that I heard over in Europe that has acquired extra meaning since I've been back in the States. I should probably put some sort of warning for vulgar language ahead or something, but it's my blog and I can do whatever I want, damnit. How is American beer the same as having sex in a canoe? Both are fucking close to water. Cheers, mate.

Quote Of The Day: Pablo Picasso

"If you know exactly what you are going to do, what's the point of doing it?" -Pablo Picasso

BA: British (Badass) Airways

Next time you find yourself searching for the perfect transatlantic flight, look no further than British Airways. Those guys know how to take care of you. There might be some cheaper alternatives, but whose thinking about that when you're crammed in next to a screaming baby for eight hours, squinting to see a screen with some horrible movie on it, and throwing down food that makes McDonalds seem gourmet? BA has great food and wine (honestly), a wide selection of entertainment to watch on your own individual monitors, spacious and comfortable seats, and wonderful service...and that's just in "second class." Not too shabby. Plus, I sat next to an American freelance journalist, originally from Romania but living and working in Chicago, on his way back from Iraq. He was an incredibly interesting older man who had stories from all over the world. Due to his background, he said he had contacts all over Eastern Europe, and his friendships with some of the prime ministers and other leaders from that part of the world has led him to take consulting jobs with many different companies trying to get into the ex-Communist countries. Didn't catch his last name, but I have a feeling I was hanging out with a very accomplished and well-known man. Just one of many random, fascinating people that I've met over the last four or so months.

Next Stop, Chicago

I don't quite know how I pulled it off, but I backpacked around Europe for two weeks without any real setbacks. Me, the same eejit who this very semester has screwed up a grilled cheese sandwich and failed to figure out the complexities of the modern marvel, the can opener. I guess that just means I come through when it really counts, eh? So what exactly happened over the course of the last two weeks? The last semester? Sure you've read some stories and maybe even seen a few pictures (you've realized by this point that I have a site with a lot of pictures on it, right?), but it's hard to say. I can tell you stories about how I've seen old Japanese men plastered, standing on tables, and singing their national anthem at the top of their lungs in the Hofbrauhaus. Yes, I can tell you about how I ended up caught up in a group of locals one night in Brugge and ended up getting back to my hostel four hours later than I planned on. I've already alluded to you about the day in Bavaria when I lived out one of my favorite movies. I can show you the video of me and my buddy Hans dropping like a rock through the atmosphere. And I can even tell you about how I was forced to speak Chinese at a sushi joint in Paris. But if you ask me how it really was, I wouldn't know what to say; not yet anyway. I need some time and perspective to go back and fit together the pieces of the puzzle. Of course, some of this crazy stuff was nothing more than funny moments or bouts with stupidity. A lot of it was more, though, and I definitely feel like it has left its mark on me. Just try to not kill me if all I can do is smile and nod when you ask me the million dollar question: "So how was Ireland?"

Paris: Sunset de Eiffel

David, John, and Walter left for the airport today, so that means I have one more day to explore this beautiful city on my own. It's quite a city, and a stroll along the River Seine last night offered a clear explanation of the romantic lore it has to offer. After going around to a few more sites, I plan on ending my trip at the top of the Eiffel Tower tonight, watching the Parisian sunset. See you back in Ireland. Au revoir!

Paris: Final Destination

Just as the Tour de France concludes with a lap around the Champs Elysées, so too does my trip. In fact, that was the first place I went once I got here and waited to meet up with John and David. My flight to Ireland is on Sunday afternoon, and until then I'll be exploring the rest of this beautiful city. Brugge turned out to be one of the best places I've been to; it's as if it was placed in a time capsule back in medieval times and perfectly preserved until today. It was a great example of "old" Europe. More to write, but I'm on the clock and we're about to hit the town for dinner. Travelling alone was a great blessing in many instances, and provided me the possibilities that gave me the best memories, but it's nice to be somewhere with some familiar faces again.

Photo Of The Day: Let's Go!